Air Tahiti reverses plan to drop half its routes

Last month, Air Tahiti said it would no longer fly to 26 islands because of the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The announcement angered the government which warned that it would set up a new airline.

However after talks with the carrier’s management, the government said an agreement was reached allowing for services to all 46 destinations to resume from 7 July.

The government agreed to subsidise the carrier with $US4 million allowing it to keep all its staff.

Air Tahiti, which is 14 percent government-owned, had said most routes were operated at a loss and without support from the government would be abandoned.

The move was decried as an attempt to take the population of entire islands hostage.